The Public Theatre News

PICT celebrates the spirit of revolution with an extraordinary launch to celebrate its thirteenth season! Tom Stoppard's tremendous Tony and Olivier Award-winning play Rock ?n' Roll, inspiredby and dedicated to Václav Havel, serves as the centerpiece of a series which includes readings and paneldiscussions exploring Prague Spring & the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia.

Two-time Tony Award winners NATHAN LANE (The Producers, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) and BEBE NEUWIRTH (Chicago, Sweet Charity) will star as Gomez and Morticia in THE ADDAMS FAMILY, a new musical based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams. Produced by Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt and Five Cent Productions, by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical, THE ADDAMS FAMILY will open on Broadway Thursday, April 8, 2010 at a Nederlander theatre to be announced. Previews will begin Thursday, March 4, 2010 following a pre-Broadway engagement at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre in Chicago that begins November 13.

The Playwrights Realm presents the U.S. premiere of DOV AND ALI - a new drama by playwright Anna Ziegler, author of the critically acclaimed play BFF. Previews begin June 5th prior to an official press opening of June 12th Off-Broadway at The Cherry Lane Studio Theatre (38 Commerce Street) in Manhattan. Playwrights Realm Co-Artistic Director Katherine Kovner directs.

TheatreWorks, the nationally acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, has announced that Meredith McDonough will fill the role of Director of New Works. She replaces Kent Nicholson, who left in late 2008 to become the Director of Musical Theatre Development at Playwrights Horizons. An ideal candidate, McDonough has been actively developing new works for the past ten years at theatres including Actors Theatre of Louisville, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Round House Theatre, The Public Theatre, LABryinth Theatre Company, Ars Nova, Women?s Project and Productions, New Georges, and the Drama League. She spent two years as the New Works Program Director at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, and three seasons as a resident director at Actors Theatre of Louisville, famed for its annual Humana Festival of New American Plays. She has personally directed over twenty world premiere plays and musicals. McDonough holds an M.F.A. in Directing from University of California, San Diego, and a B.S. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey kicks off its 2009 Season with a world premiere stage adaptation of Around the World in Eighty Days. Adapted for the stage by Bonnie J. Monte from the beloved novel by Jules Verne, this inventive production is an exhilarating treat for people of all ages. Around the World in Eighty Days began performances on April 29 and continues through May 24 at the Shakespeare Theatre's Main Stage - The F. M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue at Lancaster Road in Madison. For tickets or more information, call the box office at 973-408-5600, email boxoffice@shakespearenj.org or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director), in association with Jonathan Reinis, Jamie Cesa, Eva Price & Berkeley Repertory Theatre, is proud to present the Broadway premiere production of Wishful Drinking, created and performed by Carrie Fisher and directed by Tony Taccone at Studio 54 on Broadway (254 West 54th St).

Taye Diggs and his wife, Idina Menzel, are expecting a son, In Touch Weekly is reporting.

The 16th Annual Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration program, honoring world class scenic designer Todd Rosenthal (August: Osage County), will take place on Monday, April 27, at the Steppenwolf Merle Reskin Garage Theatre. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a viewing of the third annual ?Theater Design Expo' showcasing the works of over 20 Chicago-area emerging theatrical designers and a student portfolio review. Martha Lavey, Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, will moderate an inclusive discussion, 'Moving Chicago Productions to New York and Beyond' with the awardees, Director Anna Shapiro and Joshua Schmidt, composer and librettist, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Ensemble Studio Theatre (William Carden, Artistic Director, Paul Alexander Slee, Executive Director) will present Marathon 2009, E.S.T.?s 31st annual festival of new one-act plays, at E.S.T. (549 West 52nd Street). Performances begin Friday, May 22nd, and continue through Saturday, June 27th.

New York?s Naked Angels (Geoffrey Nauffts, Artistic Director; Brittany O?Neill, Managing Director) has announced complete casting for its World Premiere production of Geoffrey Nauffts? new play Next Fall (formerly titled TheGospel According To Adam), directed by Sheryl Kaller. The cast will feature Patrick Breen, Maddie Corman, Sean Dugan, Patrick Heusinger, Connie Ray, andCotter Smith.

Private Practice star Taye Diggs real-life wife, Tony winner Idina Menzel, will return in her guest-starring role on the ABC series on Thursday April 23rd. Menzel reprises her role as Lisa King, a single mother whose son is being treated by Tim Daly's character, Dr. Pete Wilder. Check local listings for more information.

New York Musical Theater Festival kicked off its sixth season with a Gala Celebration of its first five years, called BEST OF THE FEST, on Monday, April 20th at 7 PM at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). BroadwayWorld.com was there to catch all the 'NYMF' filled action!

Living Image Arts Theater Company Proudly Presents the world premiere of God, Sex & Blue Water by Linda Faigao-Hall, directed by NELSON T. EUSEBIO III Starring LEANNE CABRERA, ANDREW EISENMAN, LYDIA GASTON RYAN McCARTHY A Test of Faith An Act of Love A Choice

Several short plays by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning writer William Inge, never before publicly performed, will premiere April 22 at the annual William Inge Theatre Festival in his Kansas hometown. The 28th annual William Inge Theatre Festival celebrates the legacy of great American playwrights and honors Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt April 22-25. They will receive the coveted Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award, joining the list of previous Inge Festival honorees such as Arthur Miller, August Wilson, Wendy Wasserstein, Neil Simon, and Stephen Sondheim.

New York Musical Theater Festival will kick of its sixth season with a Gala Celebration of its first five years, called BEST OF THE FEST, on Monday, April 20th at 7 PM at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues).

New York Musical Theater Festival will kick of its sixth season with a Gala Celebration of its first five years, called BEST OF THE FEST, on Monday, April 20th at 7 PM at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). A limited number of show-only tickets are available for $26.50 with code NFGENA309 at www.BroadwayOffers.com or by phone at 212/239-6200; VIP tickets, including a post-show reception with the performers, are $136.50.

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch will lead the New York Philharmonic in New York Moments, a concert featuring iconic musical moments from Broadway and film, with stars from the stage and screen (in alphabetical order): Ashley Brown, who originated the title role in Mary Poppins on Broadway; Maria Friedman, who played Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd and Marian in The Woman in White in London; Joel Grey, whose numerous starring roles have included the famous M.C. in Cabaret, on Broadway and in the film; Jennifer Holliday, one of the original Dreamgirls; Liza Minnelli, last seen on Broadway in Liza's at The Palace; Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot, stars of the current Lincoln Center Theater production of South Pacific; and 15-year-old up-and-coming singer, Nikki Yanofsky. The concert will take place Monday, April 20, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. All except Mr. Hamlisch and Ms. O'Hara are making their New York Philharmonic debuts.

More Stars Added To The New York Musical Theatre Festival's 6th Season Celebration: 'BEST of FEST' Honoring The First Five Years of NYMF Now Featuring Nellie McKay, Euan Morton, Mary Bond Davis, Debbie Gravitte, Liz Larsen, Rachel Stern, and Jon Patrick Walker

Just added to the all-star roster is Michael Berresse (who recently starred in A Chorus Line and directed the NYMF hit [title of show] as masters of ceremonies, as well as Autumn Hulbert featured on TV's 'The Search for Elle Woods') and Nicholas Galbraith (I & Albert, York Theatre).

New York Musical Theater Festival will kick off its sixth season with a Gala Celebration of its first five years, called BEST OF THE FEST, on Monday, April 20th at 7 PM at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues).